THE Bay of Plenty Times AND Thames Valley Warden.

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XXII, Issue 3467, 26 October 1896, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times AND Thames Valley Warden.

The spirit of the Times $h*ll teach me speed. — King John, Ad IV.

Monday, October 26, 1896

When first the proclamation was gazetted including this portion of the district in the Goldfields area we pointed out the necessity of appointing a Warden, and we have kept the question prominently before the public f ver since. We > must admit, that we have been aided greatly by the Local Bodies and a number of private individuals, who have written and telegraphed time and again to . Members and Ministers, but so far without avail. Replies have been received, first that a report has been asked for from the Warden who holds court at Paeroa, then that we have no mines working in the district, and again that another report has been ordered. Although it is months since the first report was asked for, and we presume, received, we are entirely ignorant as to its subject matter, unless it is to the effect indicated in the second reply, that there are no mines in the district. As we have before pointed out what we want is not a Warden to work our mines, . but one who will hold a court here at least once a month to hear and determine applications, objections, disputes, etc. There can be no doubt that sufficient applications have been lodged between Te Puke and Katikati to warrant a Court being held here, and itis a crying shame that applicants or objectors should have to proceed all the way to Paeroa to have their cas^s heard. The future of the field is assured from the developments now taking plaoe, but even if this were not so it is the duty of Government to see that applicants for claims in this locality are not put to unnecessary expense. We do not know how it i*, but evidently in the eyes of the Ministry anything tnat is asked for in the Bay of Plenty district must not be given, because it comes from this quarter. For months and months applicants had to even lodge their applications at Paeroa, and in addition pay ten pounds extra, and when the agitation took place relative to having applications lodged here Government evidently thought that they had autho--rised the Postmaster to receive them. If they were under the impression that cases can be heard here, they ought to know by this time that such is not the case as they have been bothered about the matter enough. Before we proceed further we would like to draw the attention of intending applicants to the fact that a number have been lodged at Paeroa even since Mr Thomson was appointed to receive them here, and all who have done so have helped to delay matters, for applications so lodged have gone to the credit ot'the Paeroa office and not to Tauranga. Applicants should look a little further than the end of their nose. No advantage is to be gained by lodging at Paeroa while it retards the establishment of a Court in this neigbourhood. Another injustice to applicants has been pointed out to the Government, and that is Mr Thomson has not been instructed to return the pa pew for the pegs to the applicant, and the course pursued is to send them over to Paeroa, where the date of hearing is filled in and then the papers are returned to Mr Thomson to give to the applicant. Not only does this j ntail a delay of about ten days

befor€S thd paper can be posted on the pegs, But necessitates two trips into town on the part of the applicant. Not only is the expense of attending the Court at Paeroa very heavy, but if one wishes to subpoena a witness from Te Puke he has to pay about four pounds for mileage on servic-. That there will be a Wardens Court in Tauranga eventually is beyond question, but p-obab^y it would be of greater service at the present time when so many cases have to be heard than it would be were the claims fully manned, and why the Government hesitate about it is more than we can imagine. The s.s. Dingadee is advertised to call in at Tauranga on November 12th on her way south. Mr W. Herries has commenced addressing the electors, making his first speech at Shaftsbury. He expects to speak in Tauranga next week. We are informed that Mr A. C. Gil man has sent Home an order for an autocar to carry four passengers. It is said that the motive power will be derived from benzine, and that the car will have a speed of 15 miles an hour over good roads. Bicycles are to be plentiful in Tauranga shortly. Mr D. F. Lundon imported one last week, and six or seven others are to arrive this month fer other would-be wheelists. Mr W. Kelly, M.H.R., was in Rotorua on Saturday, and we understand tbat he is expected to be in Tauranga this week. Work on the Eliza Claim at Waitakohe is progressing satisfactorily. The leader has widened out to about 12 inches and in every place where it has been cut gold shows freely. They are driving along tbe leader and leaving the stone stand. There are about two tons of stone in the paddock, and it is expected that this will be sent away to be crushed. Up to the present the original owners have ■ not transferred the property. The electoral roll for the new Bay i . of Plenty electorate ha 3 now been compiled, and will be put in type as speedily as possible, probably being ready for issue in about four weeks. Work on the Te Puke mine known as Fleming's Freehold has been 1 entirely suspended. Various rum ours ar<-» current as to the reason of the suspension of works, many people anticipating that the property has been taken over by a company, but from a conversation we had with I one of the owners some few weeks ' ago we venture the opinion that they have decided to work the mine by contract. In the lower level the \ reef is about 28 feet wide where cut, but widens out further along. On - the hanging wall portion of the reef gold is showing freely in the stone. Another application for a special , claim at Te Puke is advertised in i this issue. One application was lodged at the office here on Friday, ; making three for last week. The Tennis Club opened their season on Saturday. A number of games were played and afternoon 1 tea was provided by Mesdames Ward, Samuels and Commons. The courts were in first-class order, thanks to the untiring efforts of -the Vice-President, Mr J.Thomson, who , is to be congratulated on the success , of the opening. We are informed tbat a large number of new members have beon proposed. At» aged native named Horomuna Te Poura died at the Karikari farm yesterday, and a big ' crying match ' is to be held. Although slight showers of rain have fallen during the last day or two nothing of good has resulted excepting that there is now a little water in the tanks. The continued drought has had a bad effect upon most growing crops and feed in the immediate neighbourhood of Tauranga is very scarce. Unless there is a good fall of rain in the immediate future there will be something like a potato famine this season. It is our unpleasant duty to chronicle the death of a young lady named Margaret Nolan, who about five months ago came from Auckland as companion to Mrs Morton. She was about 19 years of age and daughter of Mr M. Nolan, of Auckland, but just now at Paeroa. It appears that tbe young lady had been suffering from influenza and was near recovery when she received a severe fright on Wednesday night and suffered a relapse. Internal hemorrhage set in and although all the available medical talent was engaged she expired on Saturday eveniug, We are informed that the body i? to be taken to Auckland for burial. The Maoris at Ngapeke are still working away at their reef. The arrangement is that a gang of five put in a day's work, and then another five go on next day, so that they have thirty-five men ' on the job,' for they don't stop even for Sunday. Yesterday while a gentleman was proceeding to Te Puke he observed a native ploughing a field near the roadside, when tbe following conversation took place :— ' Are you not aware that to-day is Sunday, and that it is 'wrong to work on the Sabbath Day ?' The Maori replied : ' What you say may be correct, but how am I to know it is Sunday unless the Minister comes. Mr Parsons, managing director of Coopers Exploration Company, has been at Te Puke for some days, and has now left. He expresses himself thoroughly satisfied with the future of the field, but cannot understand why more work has not been done. He considers the country to the north of Fleming's the cheapest to work, and has taken many samples of stone from this locality away for assay. It is said he made an offer for the Ben Lomond, but the owners did not consider it good enough, and are holding out for better terms. Domestic servants are forming a union to fight for the regulation of working hours and a minimum wage in Melbourne. There are now fonr lady clerks on the staff of the head office of the Insurance Department. The staff of the Public Trust Office, Wellington, includes six members of the gentler sex, and a few months ago another waa appointed to the Treasury Department Further, a lady has received an appointment in the Patent Office, and took up her duties last week.